NEW COUNCILMAN NAMED – Shubhendu Singh, the newly appointed member of the Township Council, speaks February 10 after his swearing-in. A 61-year-old Princeton Highlands resident was picked February 10 to fill an unexpired term on the Township Council. The Council chose Shubhendu Singh from among three candidates proffered by the township Democratic Party. Singh fills the Ward 1 seat vacated last month by Ed Potosnak when he was tapped to be the new state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Singh is a Managing Director at Deloitte and also volunteers with the Kendall Park First Aid & Rescue Squad, according to his LinkedIn page. He was formerly a member of the township Human Relations Commission, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and an advisor to the Franklin Township Advisory Board of Health. In his acceptance speech, Singh said serving on the Council is "an honor and a big responsibility and I accept that responsibility with a deep sense of gratitude and humility." "I've been fortunate to have grown up in a family where public service is a way of life," he said. "My grandfather was a freedom fighter. My father served in the Indian Army. My mother was a doctor, she was a surgeon." "And as I've traveled and lived in countries, the desire and the intent to serve our community has stayed with me," Singh said. "And as I take on this responsibility, I'm fully committed to the vision that I have for my Ward, for our community and for the township and to continue to build on the work that I've done for the last 25 years." "It is about accountability," he said. "It is about making thoughtful decisions. And making thoughtful decisions when the choices could be difficult, could be complex, and sometimes unpopular. "It is about showing up," he said. "It is about listening to our community. And it is about working hard, working hard also when no one is watching. It is about integrity and it is about trust. Trust that must be earned over time." "It is about equity and it is about inclusion," Singh said. "And I feel strongly about equity and inclusion because I'm convinced that health, safety, and quality of life should not be determined by the community we live in and the ZIP code we live in. Access to essential services must be homogeneous across our community." "I'm very thankful to the mayor and the council for the trust and confidence in me," he said. "I'm thankful to our dedicated township staff. And I will continue to work with all of you, including the folks in the room and the folks who are not here today, to continue to uplift our ward, our community, and our township ... I am ready to get to work, and I'm here to tell you that I'm going to be around, I'm going to be available, and I'm going to be accessible." Potosnak was re-elected to the seat in last November's general election. Singh will have to run for Potosnak's unexpired term in November. Also nominated for the position by the Democrats were Kunal Lakhia and Cheryl Bethea, both of whom are Zoning Board members. Stay 'In the Know,' subscribe to the Franklin Reporter & Advocate! No other media outlet covering Franklin Township brings you the depth of information presented by the Franklin Reporter & Advocate. Period. We are the only truly independent media serving the Eight Villages. But we can only do that with your support. Please consider a yearly subscription to our online news site; at $37 a year, it's one of the best investments you can make for yourself. To subscribe, please click here.
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